/H7S6 

UC-NRLF 

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Cut -Over  Land  Department 

of  the 
"  Southern  Pine  Asso. 


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A«Hc. -Forestry.  MaiaLflWtfl 


Mississippi  State  Capitol 

Mississippi's  Welcome 

In  its  civic  and  religious  life,  Mississippi  holds  out  a  broad,  cordial  and  tolerant 
welcome  to  those  from  all  parts  of  the  world  who  may  come  in  a  spirit  of  righteous 
and  patriotic  citizenship  seeking  a  place  in  which  to  cast  their  lot. 

Perhaps  in  no  state  in  the  Union  is  found  a  more  thorough  and  cordial  relation- 
ship existing  between  the  people  of  the  towns  and  cities  and  those  of  the  country 
districts  than  in  Mississippi. 

This  feeling  of  common  fellowship  makes  for  healthy  and  stable  public 
thought,  of  oneness  of  purpose  for  the  common  good,  and  is  free  from  those 
elements  of  differences,  discord  and  unrest  with  which  some  communities  are 
unfortunately  afflicted. 

Insofar  as  the  general  outlook  and  settlement  and  investment  privileges  are 
concerned,  Mississippi  presents  the  attractive  prospect  of  being  a  land  of  "Fron- 
tier Opportunity" — where  twenty  millions  of  acres  are  yet  to  be  had  at  moderate 
prices — the  pre-eminently  great  opportunity,  where  the  man  of  moderate  means 
may  yield  to  the  deep-souled  and  home-building  impulse  of  the  real  American, 
with  every  assurance  of  success  and  happiness. 

And  it  is  not  amiss  just  here  to  say  that  there  is  only  one  direction  that  land 
values  in  Mississippi  can  take,  and  that  is — UPWARD. 

Here  are  unbounded  opportunities  for  the  settlement  of  the  gallant  soldiers  of 
the  Republic,  now  returning  from  the  stress  and  storm  of  war,  as  well  as  others 
who  may  be  seeking  a  new  land  where  they  may  spend  their  days  amidst  happi- 
ness and  plenty — as  the  great  privilege  is  given  under  an  over-ruling  Providence. 

Being  richly  favored  with  all  that  may  bless  and  prosper  human  kind,  this 
State  keenly  realizes  that  its  greatest  present  and  future  need  is  more  good, 
thrifty  people  to  come  and  share  its  unlimited  bounties  and  help  in  the  building 
here  of  a  prosperous  and  splendid  civilization. 

Mississippi  sends  greetings  to  those  of  other  climes — the  great  North,  East 
and  West,  as  well  as  here  in  the  genial  Southern  land — and  stands  with  out- 
stretched hands  to  extend  them  a  cordial  invitation  and  bid  them  a  generous 
welcome,  where  all  may  strike  hands  with  united  hearts  and  energies,  pledged  to 
the  common  purpose  of  bringing  her  marvelous  natural  resources  into  life  and 
adding  them  to  the  Nation's  great  storehouse  of  wealth. 


^■95998 


MISSISSIPPI 

To  make  a  division  of  Mississippi  according  to  the  different  types  of  soil  would 
be  next  to  impossible  in  a  booklet  of  this  kind,  but  we  may  properly  divide  the 
State  into  five  general  sections  or  divisions  which  are  quite  distinct.  Each  section 
will  be  briefly  described  so  that  the  homeseeker  may  get  an  intelligent  idea  of  the 
soil,  crops,  water,  climate  and  general  agricultural  conditions  throughout  the 
State. 

NORTHEAST  MISSISSIPPI 

In  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  State  the  country  is  generally  rolling  or 
hilly,  and  originally  was  heavily  timbered.  The  general  surface  of  the  land  lies 
between  400  and  600  feet  above  sea  level.  There  are  many  fertile  valleys  and 
stretches  of  rolling,  undulating  country  that  are  now  in  a  splendid  state  of  culti- 


Japanese  Cane  in  Northeast  Mississippi  Produces  200  to  300  Gallons 
Japanese  Honey  Cane  Syrup  per  Acre 

vation.  The  soil  in  the  valleys  and  bottoms  is  very  productive  and  is  composed 
of  the  finest  sediment.  The  uplands  are  mostly  gray  loams  or  clays,  valuable  for 
pasturage  and  the  staple  crops.  Here  may. also  be  found  valuable  deposits  of 
gravel  and  clays. 

Between  the  hills  of  Northeast  Mississippi  and  the  Prairie  Belt  is  a  large  body 
of  flat,  sandy  loam  land,  that  is  not  only  valuable  for  general  farming,  but  is 
especially  valuable  for  corn  production.  From  this  section  more  than  two  and 
one-half  million  bushels  of  corn  are  being  marketed  annually.  This  section  is  well 
qualified  for  the  raising  of  live  stock  of  all  kinds,  owing  to  the  abundance  of  nutri- 
tious grasses  grown  there,  among  them  Lespedeza  and  clovers.  Vegetables,  fruits 
and  garden  truck  of  all  kinds  may  be  grown  very  successfully.  The  general  con- 
ditions in  this  section  of  the  State  make  it  ideal  for  rural  life. 


Two  Hundred  Head  Aberdeen  Angus  Cattle 

BLACK  PRAIRIE  BELT 

In  the  northeast  portion  of  Mississippi,  adjoining  the  Northeast  Highlands, 
is  a  stretch  of  country  known  as  the  Black  Soil  Prairie  Belt.  Its  greatest  length  is 
about  100  miles  and  its  width  is  from  10  to  26  miles.  It  is  one  of  the  most  affluent 
and  prosperous  sections  of  the  State,  which  is  directly  traceable  to  the  fertility  of 
this  soil,  the  basis  of  all  wealth,  when  combined  with  climate  and  moisture.  The 
prevailing  soil  is  deep,  dark  loam,  rich  in  carbonate  of  lime.  Outcropping  at 
places  are  lighter  soils,  clay  and  sandy  loams.  The  black  soils  yield  abundant 
crops  of  corn  and  cotton,  oats,  alfalfa,  cow  peas,  velvet  beans,  Lespedeza  and  all 
other  clovers.  With  these  crops,  the  dairy  and  live-stock  industries  are  closely 
allied.  Several  creameries  have  already  been  established  in  this  section,  thus 
providing  a  ready  market  for  the  dairy  farmer's  milk  and  cream. 


Green  Fields  All  the  Year  Mean  a  Good  Herd  of  Dairy  Cattle 

3 


Baling  Alfalfa 

Fertile  Soil 

A  bulletin  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  states:  "As  an  illustration 
of  its  extraordinary  productivity  and  durability,  it  may  be  cited  that  most  of  this 
land  will  produce  today  a  bale  or  more  cotton  to  the  acre,  after  50  to  75  years  of 
continuous  cultivation  to  cotton  and  corn  without  any  fertilizer." 

Alfalfa  Land 

This  same  bulletin  further  states:  "The  wonderful  adaptability  of  the  soils  of 
the  Black  Belt  to  alfalfa  is  bringing  about  an  agricultural  readjustment  of  alfalfa; 
is  naturally  deep,  fertile  and  of  good  texture;  is  unusually  well  drained  naturally 
and  contains  the  proper  amount  of  lime." 

Elevation 

This  section  is  most  healthful,  having  an  elevation  of  300  to  500  feet  above 
sea  level,  with  excellent  drainage  conditions.  The  temperature  is  uniform  and 
pleasant.   Rainfall  is  abundant  and  well  distributed  throughout  the  year. 


The  Black  Prairie  Lands  of  Mississippi  Are  the  Ideal  Lands  of  the  United  States 
for  Growing  Alfalfa 


THE  YAZOO-MISSISSIPPI  DELTA 

The  Yazoo-Mississippi  Delta,  located  in  the  western  part  of  Mississippi,  is  an 
alluvial  empire  in  itself,  consisting  of  6,648  square  miles,  or  4,250,000  acres  of 
the  most  fertile  lands  in  the  United  States.  About  2,200,000  acres  of  this  valley 
is  in  cultivation  and  for  generations  has  been  noted  for  its  continued  production 
of  the  famous  long-staple  cotton  of  commerce.  This  valley  extends  from  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  to  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  a  distance  of  about  170  miles  and  its  greatest 
breadth  is  about  65  miles.  Many  streams,  rivers  and  bayous  provide  natural 
drainage  for  the  Delta  lands,  but  planters  and  farmers  whose  lands  need  artificial 
drainage,  will,  in  the  opinion  of  some  of  our  best  engineers,  encounter  no  unusual 
obstacles.  The  entire  Delta  has  a  natural  drainage  from  east  to  west,  and  from 
the  north  to  the  south. 


On  a  Delta  Plantation 

Soils 

These  alluvial  soils  have  been  termed  the  "geological  cream"  of  the  United 
States,  composed  of  the  fertile  top-soils  brought  down  by  the  "Father  of  Waters" 
and  its  tributaries  from  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the  United  States  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico;  so  that  in  the  composition  of  the  soil  we  find  all  of  the  highly 
productive  agricultural  states  of  the  North  joined  hands  in  building  this 
mighty  empire.  In  these  alluvial  soils  are  mingled  the  loams  and  silt,  the  nitrogen 
and  humus,  the  potash  and  phosphates,  which,  combined,  make  an  almost  perfect 
soil.  The  most  famous  alluvial  lands  are  called  "gumbo,"  "buckshot,"  silty  loams 
and  sandy  clays.  The  sandy  and  loamy  soils  were  deposited  along  the  course  of 
the  streams  and  the  clayey  soils  in  the  interior.  The  coarser  loam  soils  contain 
5  per  cent  clay  and  15  per  cent  silt.  The  finer  grained  soils  contain  from  12 
to  18  per  cent  clay  and  30  to  65  per  cent  silt.  The  larger  portion  of  the  remaining 
composition  is  a  very  fine  sand.  The  soil  varies  in  depth  from  12  inches  to  3  feet 
on  the  loam  soils  to  100  feet  on  the  alluvial  soils.  The  "gumbo"  soil  is  a  dark, 
waxy  clay  and  is  one  of  the  most  product ive  when  properly  handled.  These  soils 
grow  splendid  crops  of  alfalfa  and  other  legumes.  They  range  in  depth  from  one 
to  six  feet. 

Climate 

The  climatic  conditions  in  the  Delta  are  ideal  lor  the  growing  of  cotton,  which 
is  the  principal  money  crop  and  which  in  the  past  has  yielded  large  returns  to 


the  planter.  This  plant  requires  a  long  season  of  warm  weather.  However,  the 
temperature  is  not  oppressive,  and  sunstrokes,  which  are  so  common  in  the 
Northern  states,  seldom  occur  in  the  South.  The  average  temperature  for  the  year 
1917  at  Greenville,  Miss.,  was  63  degrees.  Winter  temperature  seldom  goes  below 
freezing  and  will  range  somewhere  between  36  and  60  degrees.  In  summer  the 
temperature  rarely  goes  above  96  degrees.  The  annual  rainfall  is  about  56  inches. 

Water 

The  excellent  health  conditions  that  prevail  in  the  Yazoo  Delta  country  are 
largely  due  to  the  pure  drinking  water  obtained  from  flowing  artesian  wells,  of 
which  there  are  about  5,000.  Nearly  every  large  plantation,  village,  hamlet  and 
city  gets  its  water  supply  from  this  source,  which  was  not  true  in  the  pioneer  days 
in  the  South  any  more  than  it  was  in  the  North,  where  the  water  was  drawn  from 
shallow  wells  and  cisterns.  Wherever  proper  drainage  and  sanitary  conditions 
prevail,  the  health  of  the  people  compares  favorably  to  that  of  any  other  section 
of  the  United  States.  Coming  from  a  depth  of  several  hundred  feet,  the  water  is 
not  subject  to  contamination,  and  is  therefore  of  the  highest  quality  and  purity. 

Crops 

Cotton.  For  more  than  a  century  the  Delta  has  gone  unchallenged  as  the 
Champion  producer  of  long-staple  cotton.  This  staple  was  king  and  reigned 
supreme,  and  on  good  land,  under  proper  cultivation,  yields  from  one  to  two  bales 
per  acre.  A  bale  consists  of  about  500  pounds  and  at  war  prices  is  worth  about 
$200,  and  under  pre-war  times  was  worth  from  18  to  25  cents  per  pound.  Con- 
ditions have  changed  in  the  Delta  since  the  advent  of  the  boll  weevil,  which  a 
few  years  ago  threatened  the  entire  cotton  belt  with  ruin,  just  as  the  chinch  bug 
did  the  wheat  farmers  of  the  North  some  years  ago.  Under  these  conditions  the 
cotton  planter  was  forced  to  revise  his  farming  methods,  which  he  did  by  diversi- 
fying his  crops.  The  one-crop  system  no  longer  prevails,  but  with  profitable 
results  crops  of  corn,  alfalfa,  oats,  soy  beans,  cow  peas  and  velvet  beans  are 
marketed  annually. 


Mississippi  for  Cotton 
6 


m. 


Seventy-Five  Bushels  of  Corn  per  Acre  on  Delta  Lands  Are  Not  Uncommon 

Corn.  Even  on  these  alluvial  soils  where  crop  rotation  is  practiced  and 
legumes  are  grown,  the  mechanical  texture  of  the  soil  is  noticeably  improved  in 
increased  crop  production.  One  planter  in  1917  planted  2,200  acres  to  corn,  soy 
beans,  cow  peas  and  other  food  crops.  Of  this  acreage,  1,500  was  planted  to  corn 
and  under  the  best  methods  of  tillage  produced  100  bushels  per  acre.  One 
measured  acre  yielded  118  bushels.  We  would  say  this  was  an  exceptional  yield  on 
so  large  an  acreage,  although  much  larger  yields  are  recorded  on  a  smaller  acreage 
under  intensified  methods  of  cultivation.  Seventy-five  bushels  per  acre  on  Delta 
lands  are  not  uncommon  and  the  average  is  very  little  below  that  figure.  The 
seed  from  which  these  yields  are  made  is  of  the  prolific  varieties,  producing  two 
or  more  good  ears  per  stalk. 

Soy  Beans.  This  crop  is  growing  more  and  more  in  favor  with  the  farmers 
of  the  South,  as  it  is  highly  profitable  as  a  forage  crop  and  a  soil  restorer.  As  a 
feed  for  cattle,  with  corn  ensilage,  it  provides  a  nearly  balanced  ration  and  by  some 
stock  men  is  considered  superior  to  alfalfa.  Yields  vary,  depending  upon  the  fer- 
tility of  the  soil  and  the  care  and  attention  given  to  cultivation.  One  planter  last 
year  on  a  field  of  600  acres  had  an  average  yield  of  40  bushels  per  acre.  Under 
normal  conditions,  we  would  say  the  average  yield  per  acre  for  the  State  would  be 
about  25  bushels.  The  price  was  $3.00  per  bushel  for  1918. 

Velvet  Beans  and  Cow  Peas.  Both  of  these  legumes  are  considered  very 
valuable  from  the  viewpoint  of  their  feed  value,  especially  in  the  raising  of  live 
stock.  In  1918,  Mississippi  harvested  525,000  bushels  of  velvet  beans  and  $1,760,- 
000  worth  of  cow  peas.  1  his,  however,  does  not  represent  the  full  production  or 
value  of  either  crop,  as  large  proportions  of  both  crops  are  left  in  the  fields  to  be 
harvested  by  the  hogs  and  cattle.  Like  red  clover,  sweet  clover,  and  other 
legumes,  the  velvet  bean  and  cow  peas  are  nitrogen  gatherers  and  leave  the  soil 
in  a  higher  slate  of  fertility,  thereby  increasing  its  productive  powers,  and  larger 
\  ields  of  field  crops  the  follow  ins;  year  are  the  result. 

Hay.  According  to  the  figures  furnished  by  the  United  States  1  department  of 
Agriculture,  Bureau  of  Crop  Estimates,  the  total  value  of  the  hay  crop  in  Missis- 
sippi for  1918  was  $8,589,000.  One  of  the  most  valuable  hays  is  Lespedeza,  or 
Japanese  clover.  When  combined  with  Bermuda,  white  and  crimson  clover,  one 
acre  will  easily  maintain  a  full-grown  steer  as  long  as  rainfall  is  sufficient.  On  a 
well-balanced  soil  Lespedeza  will  yield  from  one  to  three  tons  per  acre.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  easily  cured  hay  crops  in  the  State,  often  requiring  less  than  21  hours 


Lespedeza  Grows  Luxuriantly 


to  effect  a  cure.  It  is  very  palatable  and  readily  relished  by  all  kinds  of  live  stock. 
There  is  always  a  keen  market  at  remunerative  prices  for  this  crop  when  properly 
cured. 

Alfalfa  has  been  grown  very  successfully  in  the  Yazoo  Delta  for  several  years 
past  on  plantations  that  were  well  drained,  as  this  plant  will  not  survive  on  lands 
that  are  water-soaked  and  flooded.  Nearly  all  of  these  lands  grow  alfalfa  success- 
fully, as  the  soil  is  highly  impregnated  with  lime.  However,  the  soils  on  some  of 
the  farms  will  have  to  be  inoculated  to  successfully  grow  this  legume.  Properly 
handled  alfalfa  yields  from  five  to  six  cuttings  per  season  and  an  average  of  one 


Alfalfa  Yields  Five  to  Six  Cuttings  per  Season 
8 


■■I 


Record-Breaking  Yields  of  Oats  Are  Made  in  Mississippi 

ton  per  acre  each  cutting.  It  is  cut  once  every  forty  days  from  May  to  November. 
Alfalfa  in  the  hands  of  a  skilled  farmer  will  yield  an  income  equal  to  cotton. 

Oats  is  another  of  the  staple  crops  grown  in  the  State  and  in  the  production 
ofwhich  the  Delta  has  broken  the  record, as  the  following  figures  from  the  Experi- 
ment Station  at  Stoneville  would  indicate: 

Bushels  Bushels 

per  Acre  per  Acre 

Black  Tartarian 42.2  Hastings  One  Hundred  Bushel  .  118.2 

Swedish  Select 82.8  Bancroft 119.0 

Sensation 91.0  Red  Rust  Proof 135. 6 

Appier 118.0 

With  a  fertile  soil,  abundant  rainfall,  a  healthful  climate,  excellent  drinking 
water,  good  drainage,  there  slumbers  in  the  lap  of  this  great  alluvial  valley, 
awaiting  the  touch  of  the  trained  and  experienced  homeseeker,  an  OPPOR- 
TUNITY, which,  if  seized,  will  lead  to  FORTUNE. 


CUT-OVER  LANDS  IN  SOUTH  MISSISSIPPI 

These  lands  may  be  described  as  "logged-off"  or  "stump  land"  from  which 
the  merchantable  timber  has  been  removed.  The  year  1908  witnessed  some 
recognition  of  the  agricultural  worth  of  Southern  cut-over  lands.  This  first  stir 
of  interest  was  as  the  "little  leaven  in  the  whole  lump,"  but  gradually  and  exten- 
sively the  assimilation  of  these  denuded  lands  for  other  than  lumber  purposes 
proceeded.  Native  farmers,  here  and  there,  followed  closely  upon  the  heels  of  the 
axe  and  saw  in  the  logging  camps  and  opened  settlements  in  response  to  the  local 
demand  for  farm  products.  Some  of  the  more  progressive  lumbermen,  realizing 
the  possibilities  of  their  cut-over  lands,  established  thereon  demonstration  farms, 
community  settlements  and  colonization  projects. 

In  the  meantime  State  and  National  agricultural  experts  went  into  this  great 
stump  empire  and  commenced  to  work  out  the  potentialities  of  the  cut-over 
regions.  As  the  United  States  furnished  80  per  cent  of  the  world's  naval  stores, 
science  pointed  out  the  profitable  utilization  of  the  rich  resinous  content  in  the 
tree  wreckage  left  in  the  wake  of  the  sawmill.     Wood  pulp  paper  mills,  pine  tar 


This  Cut  Is  Representative  of  the  Lay  of  the  Cut-Over  Lands  of  Mississippi. 


Also  Repre 


product  plants,  sprang  up  and  began  to  manufacture  stumps,  tree  trunks  and 
limbs  into  paper,  turpentine,  pine  oil,  flotation  oils,  pitch,  rosin  and  charcoal, 
thus  establishing  a  market  for  waste  wood  in  the  logging  fields  measurably  suffi- 
cient to  reimburse  the  farmer  for  the  cost  of  clearing. 

The  railroads  realizing  that  when  the  great  asset  of  lumber  is  gone,  they  will 
need  some  people  to  carry  and  freight  to  haul,  have  industriously  influenced 
agriculture  to  follow  close  on  the  retiring  steps  of  the  timber  interests.  So,  through 
one  agency  or  another,  the  merits  of  cut-over  lands  have  developed  until  those 
skilled  in  agricultural  pursuits  now  regard  the  opportunities  for  trucking,  dairy- 
ing, stock  farming  and  ranching  offered  by  these  cut-over  regions  as  the  one 
distinct  find  in  recent  times. 

Topography 

The  lands  are  neither  in  the  high  hills  nor  low  plains,  nor  swamps,  but  level, 
open,  undulating  and  gently  rolling.  Altitude  from  100  to  600  feet,  or  even  higher. 

10 


Soil 

The  soil  is  dark,  sometimes  gray  or  light  chocolate  in  color.  The  top  soil  is  of 
the  nature  of  a  sandy  loam,  warm,  buoyant  and  responsive;  The  subsoil  is  a 
heavy,  sandy  clay  which  holds  the  moisture  for  the  growing  crops.  Experts  say 
the  subsoil  possesses  rare  qualities  for  plant  food.  It  has  been  demonstrated  that 
the  Boil  is  susceptible  of  the  highest  development  by  proper  culture. 

Drainage 

The  drainage  as  a  whole  is  natural.  The  gently  rolling  lands  shed  the  rainfall 
readily  and  naturally.  The  few  lower  and  more  level  places  may  be  ditched,  and 
it  is  this  reclaimed  land  which  is  among  the  richest  in  the  State. 

Water 

The  whole  country  is  blessed  with  water  courses.  These  streams  afford  pure, 
cool  and  sweet  water  for  both  man  and  beast.  Pure  pump  water  is  found  at  25 
to  GO  feet  and  artesian  water  at  from  300  to  1,000  feet,  the  artesian  wells  flowing 
with  a  force  and  pressure  surprisingly  strong.  The  rainfall  is,  as  a  rule,  ample  and 
well  distributed. 


Standing  Trees,  Stumpage  and  Discarded  Tree  Trunks  Generally  Found  on  These  Lands 


Crops 

Indian  corn,  kaffir  corn,  milo  maize,  German  millet,  Egyptian  millet,  oats, 
Lespedeza  or  Japanese  clover,  sorghum  cane  for  forage,  Sudan  grass,  Natal  grass 
are  the  principal  grain  and  hay  crops.  Lespedeza  produces  a  most  luxuriant  hay 
crop  and  analyzes  favorably  with  alfalfa  as  a  nutritious  hay  feed.  Carpet  grass  and 
Bermuda  grass  are  native  to  the  soil  and  are  means  through  which  we  build 
permanent  pasture.  The  lands  are  also  noted  for  sugar  cane.  The  South  is  growing 
diversified  crops,  but  a  few  acres  of  cotton  makes  a  ready  cash  crop.  Sugar  cam- 
yields  per  acre  200  to  500  gallons  of  the  famous  sugar  cane  syrup  and  sells  for 
fifty  cents  to  one  dollar  per  gallon.  Two  or  three  neighbors  join  in  buying  a 
grinding  mill  and  evaporator  which  may  be  obtained  at  minimum  cost.  The  soil 
makes  a  very  good  yield  of  Irish  potatoes  and  especially  sweet  potatoes.  Peanuts 
do  well,  the  tops  being  utilized  for  hay  and  the  nuts  find  ready  sale  in  the  market. 
All  the  fruits  do  well,  with  perhaps  the  exception  of  apples.  The  soil  is  noted  for 
its  yields  of  watermelons  and  cantaloupes.  The  country  is  noted  for  perhaps  the 
greatest  strawberry  production  section,  of  equal  acreage,  in  the  country'.    Pecan 

11 


\ 

l\i  A   / 

1                        *  i       1    K,\»    1* 

/ 

jBm      *«▼  1     3   -    _£»  - 

wk 

■M^.             'fifc 

fc^jt^^ 

^ 

■HmkImEKw 

Sugar  Cane  Yields  200  to  500  Gallons  of  Syrup  per  Acre,  Making  a  Good  Cash  Yearly  Crop 


trees  grow  wild  in  the  woods  and  the  famous  paper-shell  pecans  do  equally  well. 
These  grafted  pecan  trees  may  be  planted  and  farming  carried  on  between  the 
rows.  Every  vegetable  known  will  grow  in  this  soil.  The  production  of  the  cou  ntry 
is  away  behind  the  consumption  of  the  commercial  and  industrial  centers.  This 
cheap,  intensive  soil,  with  a  near-by  market  for  all  garden  produce  is  just  the 
opportunity  the  trucker  is  looking  for. 


Cantaloupes 
12 


Dairying 

Dairy  farms  on  cut-over  lands  furnish  all  the  natural  essentials  of  successful 
dairying  as  described  in  Bulletin  No.  155,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  and 
quoted  as  follows: 

"The  first  and  most  important  natural  advantage  of  the  South  for  profitable 
dairying  is  its  climate,  which  makes  it  possible  to  have  good  grazing  on  fresh 
pastures  from  nine  to  twelve  months  of  every  year.  The  least  expensive  feed  for 
the  maintenance  of  any  animal  is  that  which  is  gathered  by  grazing.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  secure  a  full  flow  of  milk  from  a  cow  which  does  not  have  fresh  and 
succulent  food  from  fresh  pastures,  soiling  crops,  root  crops,  or  the  silo,  and  the 
best  of  these  is  fresh  pastures.  Natural  pastures  of  Bermuda  grass,  Lespedeza 
grass  and  other  plants  are  abundant  and  good  through  the  summer.  Cow  peas 
and  sorghum  will  carry  the  cows  through  the  fall  in  constantly  improving  con- 
dition, and  by  December,  with  oats,  vetches  and  crimson  clover,  afford  rich 


Dairying 


■■■■■■ 
t-Over  Lands 


grazing,  which  lasts  until  the  natural  grasses  begin  their  spring  growth.  In  no 
other  part  of  the  country  is  it  possible  to  secure  good  grazing  through  so  great  a 
part  of  the  year  at  so  little  cost.  The  mild  winters  make  it  unnecessary  to  provide 
expensive  buldings  for  protection  from  cold.  The  increase  in  the  amount  of 
food  needed  simply  to  sustain  animal  heat  in  the  region  where  the  temperature 
ranges  from  20  degrees  to  30  degrees  F.  lower,  as  it  does  in  most  of  the  prominent 
dairy  sections  of  the  country,  is  no  small  item  in  the  cost  of  maintenance,  and 
in  those  sections  there  is  always  a  marked  decrease  in  the  flow  of  milk  whenever 
additional  feed  is  needed  for  warmth.  The  more  mild  the  winter  the  less  will 
be  the  total  amounts  both  of  forage  and  grain  needed  for  the  support  of  the 
animal.  In  nearly  every  part  of  the  South  there  is  a  good  home  market  for 
all  dairy  products,  and  the  demand  will  be  beyond  the  supply  for  many  j 
to  come.  There  are  few  counties  in  this  section  which  do  not  consume  double 
the  amount  of  butter  they  produce,  and  in  which  really  good  butter  will  not 
br  ng  a  satisfactory  price  in  the  local  market.  A  local  market  is  always  the 
best  market  for  any  farm  product." 

13 


Twenty-Thousand -Dollar  Hereford  Bull  on  a  Mississippi  Stock  Farm 

Railroads  or  lumber  companies  in  many  instances  have  furnished  dairymen 
the  free  service  of  approved  pedigreed  bulls.  Many  communities  have  organized 
bull  associations,  the  associations  purchasing  or  replacing  bulls  of  high-bred 
standards  for  community  use. 

Cattle 

During  the  years  1917  and  1918  the  United  States  and  State  Agricultural 
Departments,  in  order  to  save  hundreds  of  thousands  of  cattle  from  death  by 
reason  of  drouth  in  the  West  and  Southwest  and  meet  urgent  war  needs,  influenced 
the  transfer  of  many  great  herds  from  the  Southwest  into  the  grass  of  the  cut-over 
lands  in  Mississippi.  The  experiment  in  the  main  proved  highly  successful  and 
thus  the  stamp  of  approval  was  placed  upon  cut-over  lands  as  the  coming  range 
country  for  cattle.  The  better  business  method  with  cattle  is  to  acquire  native 
stock  and  cross  breed  to  pedigreed  animals  until  you  have  built  up  to  half  and 
three-quarter  standards.  Adopting  this  plan,  it  works  out  that  you  acquire  a 
herd  at  a  low  initial  cost  and  economically  build  up  to  high-priced  animals  which 
become  big  profit  producers.     It  is  highly  significant  that  there  are  now  stock 


:*>-**■ 


■ 


-4i  -  i  K 


" 


Herds  of  Hereford  Cattle  Become  Big  Profit  Producers 
14 


Mississippi  Is  Raising  Champion  Hogs 

farms  on  the  cut-over  lands  of  Mississippi  on  which  there  are  prize-winning  bulls, 
one  breeder  having  paid  $20,000  for  a  pure-bred  Hereford  bull. 

Hogs 

Hogs  are  a  necessary  live-stock  accompaniment  to  cattle.  They  are  as  free 
from  the  ordinary  diseases  as  those  anywhere.  Having  mild  seasons,  little  loss  of 
pigs  and  abundant  forage  and  feed  crops  for  hogs,  you  need  but  look  to  the  actual 
increased  production  of  swine  in  Mississippi  to  be  convinced  of  the  possibility  of 
hog  raising  as  a  business  venture,  which  is  evidenced  by  two  sales  of  pedigreed 
hogs  held  in  February,  1919,  where  the  average  price  for  sows  was  over  $300  at 
one  sale  and  over  $600  at  the  other. 


Sheep 

Sheepmen  have  commenced  to  run  flocks  on  cut-over  lands.  The  consei.-sus 
of  opinion  is  that  it  is  better  to  purchase  native  flocks,  or  flocks  in  territory  of 
similar  altitude,  import  pedigreed  rams  and  build  to  high  standards  by  cross 
breeding.  In  this  way,  to  begin  with,  you  measurably  solve  the  knotty  problems 
of  adaptability  to  climate,  feed  and  grass.   Experienced  flock  masters  do  not  run 


Specimen  of  Sheep  to  Be  Found  on  the  Cut-Over  Lands  of  Mississippi 

15 


Every  Farmer  Should  Have  Some  Sheep  on  His  Farm 


sheep  on  low  lands  where  they  incur  the  risk  of  foot  rot,  but  are  selecting  the 
higher  or  rolling  lands,  of  which  there  are  millions  of  acres.  Internal  parasites, 
present  in  greater  or  less  degree  in  almost  every  sheep  growing  country,  may 
be  avoided  by  shifting  and  changing  pasture  often  on  the  unlimited  range  of  cut- 
over  lands.  External  parasites,  or  scab,  may  be  controlled  by  the  simple  process 
of  dipping.  A  great  change  of  sentiment  regarding  the  dog  has  come  about  and 
the  people  of  Mississippi  now  prefer  more  sheep  and  less  dogs.  Drastic  laws  are  in 
sight  and  predatory  animals  as  a  menace  in  the  future  will  be  negligible. 

The  range  sheep  at  first  on  the  cut-over  lands  in  the  South  were  as  a  rule 
undoubtedly  descendants  of  the  old  Mexican  ewe  imported  during  an  early  day 
from  Spain,  and  in  that  state  were  a  mixed  type,  greatly  degenerated  by  inbreed- 
ing. Roaming  the  denuded  woodlands  were  small  flocks  of  15  or  20,  with  no 
human  care  except  when  their  burdens  were  tenderly  lifted  at  shearing  time. 
These  sheep,  thanks  to  our  propitious  soil  and  climatic  conditions,  actually 
propagated  and  in  a  way  worked  out  their  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling 
before  their  neglectful  owners.  Now,  if  these  inferior  gracfes  of  sheep,  without 
care  or  feeding,  survived  our  mild  winters,  is  it  not  a  powerful  argument  in  support 
of  cut-over  lands  as  a  sheep  country? 

Sheep  run  on  Southern  cut-over  lands  should  be  of  such  breed  as  grow  a  good- 
sized  carcass  and  a  medium  wool  production.  Our  nation  is  rapidly  becoming  a 
mutton-eating  country.  If  there  be  anything  in  the  statement  that  the  warm  cli- 
mate of  the  South  retards  putting  on  a  heavy  fleece,  the  value  of  the  increased 
carcass  would  more  than  atone  for  the  decreased  wool  production. 

Among  the  advantages  of  sheep  range  conditions  on  cut-over  lands  are  mild 
winters,  early  lambing  and  minimum  loss  from  cold — not  so  hot  in  summer,  with 
carefully  selected  breeds,  as  to  work  a  ru  iious  degeneration  in  quality  of  the  fleece 
and  not  so  cold  in  winter  as  to  make  feeding  a  continued  necessity.  We  may 
further  mention  cheap  lumber,  inexpensive  sheds,  fuel  and  fence  posts  on  the 
ground  for  the  getting,  private  ownership  of  land  without  Governmental  re- 
straints, no  thick  underbrush  to  pluck  the  wool,  near-by  markets  and  no  wolves 
or  coyotes. 

Early  Lambing 

"The  best  paying  feature  of  the  sheep  industry  is  the  quick  sale  of  fat  lambs" 
says  a  sheep  expert  of  one  of  our  Southern  State  Universities.  Healthy 
lambs  make  use  of  every  ounce  of  feed  that  goes  into  them  and  while  they  are 
young  is  the  time  to  plan  and  feed  for  early  marketing.    The  lambs  should  be 

16 


Sheep  Are  Profitable  and  Assist  in  Clearing  the  Land 


dropped  as  early  as  possible  in  December  and  January  and  the  last  of  May  should 
find  all  lambs  for  sale  gone  to  market  and  the  money  in  the  farmer's  home  bank. 
The  Mississippi  flock  masters  should  set  out  to  produce  the  100-day  fat  lamb  and 
have  them  all  gone  to  the  market  by  June.  The  ewes,  thus  freed  from  suckling  so 
early,  go  through  the  summer  in  much  better  condition,  come  to  the  breeding 
season  earlier  and  in  better  flesh  and  they  are  sure  to  shear  a  heavier  fleece  of 
wool.  Velvet  bean  forage,  in  cornfields,  oats  and  rye,  should  be  relied  on  for 
winter  feed  for  ewes.  If  an  acre  of  velvet  beans  will  carry  25  sheep  through  the 
winter,  as  the  Agricultural  Commissioner  of  one  of  the  Southern  states  avers,  then 
ten  acres  of  velvet  beans  would  provide  winter  pasture  for  250  sheep,  making  it 
economical  to  carry  over  large  flocks  from  summer  grazing.  What  applies  to 
sheep  applies  with  equal  force  to  goats,  except  that  goats  are  hardier,  require  less 
feeding  and  are  immune  from  many  diseases  that  sheep  are  heir  to. 

If  sheep  or  cattle  were  intelligently  herded  and  their  grazing  directed  by 
shifting  from  one  grazing  area  to  another,  leaving  sufficient  acreage  entirely 
untouched  until  winter  months,  the  reserve  pasture  would  have  twice  the  carrying 
power  over  that  of  the  range  taxed  to  its  full  capacity  during  the  summer  months. 
If  well-set  carpet  grass  be  allowed  to  go  to  seed  after  July,  the  tops  will  fall  down 
over  the  matted  roots  and  will  greatly  benefit  and  protect  the  green  pasturage 
all  winter.  Same  is  true  of  Bermuda  grass.  Sheep  and  goats  find  a  sappy  and 
budding  condition  of  shrubbery  during  most  of  the  winter,  and  beggar-weed  also 
retains  nutriment  in  the  winter  season. 

A  committee  appointed  by  the  National  Wool  Growers'  Association  to  inves- 
tigate cut-over  lands  in  Mississippi  for  sheep,  made  the  following  report: 

"There  is  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  your  Committee  that  there  is  no  place  in 
the  United  States  that  offers  better  opportunities  for  the  man  who  wants  to 
combine  farming  and  stock  raising  than  this  Mississippi  country  does." 

The  Committee,  by  inference,  questioned  the  carrying  power  of  our  grasses  for 
sheep  and  cattle  after  the  frosts  have  struck  them  in  the  winter.  There  is  little 
or  no  question  about  preparing  a  reasonable  amount  of  feed  to  supplement  the 
pasturage  during  the  short,  lean  grazing  period.  In  such  emergency  cultivated 
fields  or  pasture  could  be  utilized.  Abruzzi  rye,  wheat,  oats,  burr  and  crimson 
clover  make  most  excellent  pasture.  Soy  and  velvet  beans  and  cow  peas,  after  the 
frost  strikes  them  in  the  cornfields,  are  most  nutritious  feeds.  Pea  vine  and  Les- 
pedeza  hay  may  be  saved  in  quantities  and  ensilage  may  be  preserved  in  unlimited 
supply.   Root  and  forage  crops  are  fine  supplementary  crops. 

17 


Gulfport,  Miss. 

THE  GULF  COAST 

Those  counties  in  Southern  Mississippi  bordering  on  the  Gulf  Coast,  although 
located  in  the  "yellow  pine"  district  that  has  had  the  merchantable  timber 
removed,  are  considered  a  distinct  section  of  the  State,  and  this  strip  along  the 
Southern  border  is  internationally  known  as  the  "Gulf  Coast."  Some  of  its  resi- 
dents, however,  who  have  traveled  in  many  lands  before  selecting  this  as  their 
permanent  residence,  prefer  to  call  it  "The  Riviera  of  America,"  because  it  has 
the  charm  of  Europe's  favorite  section,  with  none  of  its  disadvantages. 

While  the  Coast  towns  have  developed  into  winter  resorts  for  the  Northerners 
and  summer  resorts  for  the  inland  Southerners,  the  rural  sections  are  intensively 
developed  as  trucking  and  fruit-growing  districts. 

Practically  every  vegetable  and  fruit  known  to  the  gardener  and  horticul- 
turist is  grown  in  great  quantities  along  the  Coast,  and  many  subtropical  pro- 
ducts have  been  developed  which  find  here  an  exceedingly  congenial  home  and 
prove  highly  profitable  to  the  grower. 

Trucking  Industry 

One  district  specializes  in  radishes  and  ships  them  in  carloads  each  year. 
These  radishes  mature  in  a  very  short  time  and,  being  grown  in  midwinter,  com- 
mand almost  fabulous  prices  on  the  Northern  markets. 

As  an  instance  of  the  intensive  manner  in  which  these  truck  farms  are  operated, 
some  of  the  growers  plant  lettuce  in  October,  and  when  it  comes  off  in  January, 
plant  Irish  potatoes.  A  week  later  radishes  are  planted  in  the  middle  of  the  potato 
rows,  and  when  the  potatoes  are  up  a  few  inches,  the  radishes  are  picked  and 
shipped  and  corn  put  in  their  places.  Then,  when  the  potatoes  are  dug,  cow  peas 
are  sown  in  the  middles,  and  all  of  these  crops  are  grown  usually  between  groves 
of  Satsuma  oranges  or  paper-shell  pecans. 

Large  quantities  of  peas,  carrots,  shallots,  lettuce,  cabbage,  cauliflower, 
turnips,  beans,  watermelons,  cucumbers,  tomatoes,  peppers,  eggplant  and  other 
vegetables  are  also  raised  profitably,  and  asparagus  is  a  permanent  and  never- 
failing  source  of  profit,  as  it  never  winter-kills,  grows  to  a  tremendous  size  and 
sells  for  hot-house  prices. 

18 


Trucking  can  scarcely  be  called  an  adjunct  of  farming  along  the  Coast,  as  it 
has  developed  into  a  highly  specialized  industry,  and  the  same  care  and  pains  are 
taken  in  the  preparation  and  packing  of  the  various  products  that  the  manu- 
facturer takes  in  assembling  the  various  parts  of  the  products  turned  out  in  his 
factory.  Returns  are  equally  commensurate  with  those  of  the  manufacturer,  and 
dependent  entirely  upon  the  amount  of  capital,  knowledge  and  labor  that  has 
been  put  into  the  work.  Returns  of  several  hundred  dollars  per  acre  from  well- 
cared  for  and  highly  and  intensively  farmed  areas  excite  no  comment,  as  it  is 
expected  by  the  growers  and  accepted  as  compensation  for  their  knowledge  and 
ability  to  produce  these  products  in  the  off  season,  when  they  are  without  any 
competition  whatever  from  the  Northern  markets. 


Cabbage— Ready  for  Shipment  in  May 

Flowing  Wells 

Flowing  artesian  wells  are  found  all  along  the  Coast,  and  they  fit  into  the 
trucking  industry  very  nicely,  furnishing  abundant  water  for  the  washing  of  the 
vegetables  before  they  are  shipped  to  Northern  markets. 

General  Farming 

While  the  Coast  is  primarily  a  fruit  and  trucking  center,  unlike  other  sections, 
the  farmers  here  do  not  send  away  for  their  food  and  live-stock  feed,  but  after 
their  early-season  vegetables  are  shipped,  they  raise  corn  and  hay  for  their  work 
stock  on  the  same  ground  that  has  brought  them  their  more  productive  money 
crops. 

Cattle  and  hogs  are  also  being  raised  each  year  in  increasing  numbers,  and 
dairying  has  become  a  highly  lucrative  form  of  farming,  because  of  the  inexhaust  i- 
ble  markets  close  at  hand  for  all  dairy  products. 

Fruit  Growing 

Every  fruit  known  to  the  horticulturist,  with  perhaps  a  few  species  considered 
indigenous  only  to  the  tropics,  is  successfully  and  profitably  raised  along  the 
Coast.      Peaches,  plums,  pears,  quinces,  strawberries,  dewberries,  and  black- 

19 


berries  all  do  well.  Grapes  find  a  congenial  home  here  and  bear  enormous  loads 
of  fruit  within  16  months  from  planting.  Practically  all  varieties  of  grapes,  from 
the  democratic  Concord  to  the  aristocratic  hot-house  varieties  like  the  Seedless 
Sultana  and  Flaming  Tokay,  thrive  in  this  congenial  climate  and  soil,  and  well 
repay  the  efforts  of  the  grower.  The  vines  make  a  luxurious  growth,  and  there  is 
never  any  danger  of  their  being  winter-killed.  Rot  and  mildew  are  not  as  pre- 
valent as  they  have  been  in  other  sections. 

Satsuma  Oranges 

More  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  culture  of  Satsuma  oranges  along  the 
Coast  than  to  any  other  one  fruit.  This  variety  is  the  hardiest  member  of  the 
citrus  family,  the  parent  stock  having  been  imported  from  Japan  and  budded 
on  a  deciduous  cold-resistant  stock,  which  enables  it  to  go  safely  through  much 
colder  weather  than  the  Weather  Bureau's  records  indicate  is  likely  to  occur  on 
the  Coast. 

The  tree  is  a  dwarf  and  a  very  large  number  of  them  can  be  planted  to  the 
acre  and  the  fruit  removed  without  ladders  and  at  a  slight  expense.  The  oranges 
mature  very  early  and  go  on  the  Northern  markets  at  a  time  when  there  is  no 
competition  from  other  citrus  fruits  and  command  unheard  of  prices. 


Satsuma  Orange  Grove  in  Southern  Mississippi 


While  the  Satsuma  has  been  grown  in  a  small  way  along  the  Coast  for  about 
20  years,  as  a  commercial  product  they  have  only  been  shipped  in  quantities  in 
the  last  two  or  three  years.  Heretofore  the  local  markets  have  gladly  taken  at 
good  prices  all  of  the  fruit  that  could  be  produced,  and  when  the  commercial 
orchards  came  into  bearing  the  northern  markets  showed  the  same  disposition 
to  absorb  this  exquisitely  flavored  seedless  orange  at  highly  gratifying  prices. 

The  Satsuma  is  a  true  "kid  glove"  orange  and  the  segments  separate  easily 
without  the  hands  being  soiled  by  any  juice.  The  tree  is  thornless,  and  is  as 
easily  cared  for  as  the  Northern  apple.  The  Satsuma  orchards  have  experienced 
a  temperature  running  around  20  degrees  without  suffering  the  slightest  from  the 
cold,  and  the  future  for  this  industry  is  very  bright. 

Paper- Shell  Pecans 

The  Gulf  Coast  is  the  birthplace  of  the  nationally  famous  paper-shell  pecan. 
The  initial  experiments  in  propagating  and  top-working  the  old  seedling  trees 
were  made  here,  and  the  parent  stock  of  nearly  all  the  paper-shell  pecans  in  the 
country  have  been  secured  from  orchards  and  nurseries  located  on  the  Gulf  Coast. 

20 


One  of  Mississippi's  Wealth  Producers 


The  early  French  settlers  found  the  pecan  growing  in  all  its  majesty  and 
grandeur  here  300  years  ago,  and  modern  science  and  painstaking  care  and  atten- 
tion have  developed  these  nuts  into  the  toothsome  delicacy  that  gastronomic 
connoisseurs  pronounce  the  finest  contribution  ever  made  to  the  table. 

The  paper-shell  pecan  takes  its  name  from  the  fact  that  the  shells  can  be 
easily  broken  by  crushing  two  of  them  in  the  palm  of  the  hand.  They  will  average 
from  thirty-five  to 'fifty  nuts  to  the  pound  and  prices  the  past  few  years  have 
ranged  from  75  cents  to  $1.25  per  pound,  and  the  yields  from  the  trees  are 
measured  only  by  the  rare  and  attention  the  grower  has  given  his  orchard.  When 


Drying  Pecans 
21 


it  is  realized  that  a  mature  pecan  tree  attains  such  a  spread  of  branches  that  it 
is  not  possible  for  over  ten  or  a  dozen  of  them  to  occupy  an  acre  of  ground  without 
their  root  systems  and  branches  becoming  interlaced,  and  that  they  are  literally 
loaded  down  with  nuts,  it  can  be  readily  seen  what  a  tremendous  crop  they  will 
bear  upon  attaining  their  full  growth. 

The  Pabst,  Stuart,  Success,  Russell,  Van  Deman,  and  Schley  pecans,  which  are 
accepted  as  the  best- known  varieties  in  all  sections,  were  all  originated  along  the 
Gulf  Coast,  and  the  parent  trees,  from  which  the  original  stock  was  taken,  are 
still  to  be  found  here  in  various  orchards. 

Figs 

Figs  are  another  fruit  that  are  as  old  as  the  earliest  settlements  here,  and  no 
door-yard  is  complete  without  a  number  of  these  thrifty,  hardy  trees.  They  bear 
enormous  quantities  of  fruit  and  the  housewives  find  a  ready  market  for  preserved 
figs  at  splendid  prices  for  all  they  care  to  put  into  jars  or  cans,  and  the  brokers 
advise  there  is  no  possible  likelihood  of  a  market  for  preserved  figs  at  fancy  prices 
ever  becoming  glutted. 


Shell  Road  Along  the  Gulf  Coast 


Almost  Ideal  Living  Conditions 

While  the  Gulf  Coast  originally  made  its  bid  for  prominence  because  of  the 
manifold  advantages  it  offered  in  the  way  of  a  climate  with  290  days  and  more 
between  frost;  chemically  pure  drinking  water,  which  many  physicians  claim  is 
a  specific  for  numerous  organic  diseases  that  have  not  reached  an  advanced  stage; 
fishing  and  hunting;  and  has  attained  a  national  reputation  so  great  that  Presi- 
dent Wilson  a  few  years  ago  established  his  Winter  Capital  on  the  Coast — the 
permanent  future  of  the  Gulf  Coast  will  not  depend  upon  its  advantages  as  a  place 
to  live  so  much  as  it  will  upon  the  returns  that  general  farming,  live-stock,  vege- 
table and  fruit  growing  will  give  to  the  farmer  from  other  sections  who,  with  some 
means  and  abundant  energy,  will  wrest  from  these  productive  areas  the  stores 
of  wealth  that  Nature  has  for  many  centuries  stored  up,  awaiting  the  touch  of 
industry  to  realize. 

22 


Velvet  Beans  and  Corn 

OTHER  DIVISIONS 

That  portion  of  the  State  lying  between  the  Black  Prairie  Belt  and  the  Vazoo- 
Mississippi  Delta  Valley  may  be  divided  into  the  Pontotoc  Ridge  Soil,  the  Flat- 
woods  Soil,  and  the  Brown  Loam  and  Loess  Soil  Areas. 

This  entire  section  extending  through  the  middle  of  the  State  is  gently  rolling, 
with  an  elevation  of  from  300  to  600  feet  above  sea  level.  Under  proper  manage- 
ment and  soil  improvement  these  lands  produce  excellent  crops  of  every  variety 
grown  on  Mississippi  soils,  excepting  alfalfa;  although  this  legume  has  been  grown 
in  this  territory,  it  is  not  considered  one  of  the  staple  crops  for  this  portion  of  the 
State. 

Crops 

Crops  grown  most  extensively  on  these  soils  are  cotton  and  corn,  although 
oats  is  coming  very  much  in  favor  in  certain  localities.  Cotton  will  yield  one  bale 
per  acre  on  lands  where  the  fertility  has  been  maintained  and  where  proper 
methods  of  cultivation  are  practiced. 


Scene  at  a  Mississippi  Cotton  Gin 
23 


Corn  on  the  best  of  the  lands  has  yielded  anywhere  from  40  to  220  bushels  per 
acre;  all  depending  upon  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  the  seed,  the  preparation  of  the 
seed  bed  and  cultivation.  The  220  bushels  were  produced  on  an  acre  that  had  been 
given  special  care,  but  it  demonstrates  what  can  be  done,  and  that  the  soil 
responds  to  good  treatment. 

Oats  has  yielded  91  bushels  per  acre  on  a  field  of  40  acres,  with  an  over- weight 
of  four  pounds  to  the  bushel.  One  county  in  this  portion  of  the  State  produced 
over  3,000,000  bushels  in  a  single  year.  Oats  as  a  rule  is  seeded  in  the  fall,  from 
September  to  November,  and  harvested  in  May  or  June.  As  soon  as  the  crop  has 
been  harvested,  the  land  is  plowed  and  some  other  staple  crop  may  be  grown  the 
same  year.  This  may  consist  of  sweet  potatoes,  cow  peas,  soy  beans,  or  corn, 
and  if  Lespedeza  is  sown  in  the  oats,  a  splendid  crop  of  hay  may  be  had  in  the 
early  fall.  June  corn  with  cow  peas  may  follow  oats  the  same  year,  furnishing 
ample  roughage  for  the  silo,  providing  an  abundance  of  feed  for  live  stock,  which 
is  so  important  in  the  economic  production  of  meat  and  dairy  products. 


Oats  an  Important  Crop  in  Mississippi — Yield  91  Bushels  per  Acre 


Soils  Prolific 

All  of  the  soils  in  the  above-named  divisions  are  very  prolific  in  crop  yields 
when  properly  handled,  and  are  very  responsive  to  good  treatment.  With  proper 
crop  rotation,  growing  clovers  and  other  legumes,  raising  of  live  stock  and  the 
liberal  use  of  barnyard  manure,  Mississippi  soils  have  made  tremendous  crops. 

A  Versatile  Soil 

Nearly  every  kind  of  fruit,  vegetable,  grass,  forage  crop  and  staple  crop  grown 
in  the  United  States  can  be  grown  on  Mississippi  soil,  although  it  is  not  claimed 
that  wheat  or  apples  are  grown  for  commercial  purposes.  Nevertheless'  there  were 
42,000  acres  planted  to  wheat  in  the  fall  of  1917  and  a  larger  acreage  was  planted 
in  1918. 

Fruits 

Some  very  fine  apples  have  been  grown  in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the 
State  and  grapes  have  also  been  grown  successfully  in  the  same  territory.  Many 
small  orchards  of  peaches,  grapes,  figs  and  pears  are  cultivated  in  every  section 
of  the  State.  Strawberries  are  grown  in  large  quantities  and  are  shipped  in  carload 
lots  to  the  Northern  markets  early  in  the  season  when  prices  rule  high. 

24 


Irish  Potatoes 

In  the  extreme  southern  portion  of  the  State,  along  the  Gulf  Coast,  grapefruit 
and  oranges  of  various  kinds  may  be  grown  quite  successfully  and  profitably.  The 
flavor  of  these  fruits  is  so  delicate  and  delicious  that  practically  the  entire  supply 
is  consumed  on  the  Southern  market. 

Vegetables 

This  is  the  home  of  the  tomato  and  nowhere  does  it  thrive  better.  From  one 
little  village  in  the  central  part  of  the  State  more  than  1,000  carloads  are  shipped 
every  season  to  the  Northern  markets.  Green  beans,  peas,  radishes,  asparagus, 
cabbages,  cauliflower,  head  lettuce,  carrots,  onions,  peppers,  beets,  and  turnips 
make  up  train  loads  of  foodstuffs  that  are  shipped  from  this  State  to  the  various 
markets  extending  as  far  north  as  Seattle. 


Sorting  and  Packing  Carrots  for  Shipment 
25 


Sweet  Potatoes,  the  Largest  Cash  Crop  of  South  Mississippi 


Sweet  Potatoes 


Mississippi  is  the  home  of  the  sweet  potato,  as  there  is  not  a  soil  within  its 
borders  where  it  will  not  grow.  Of  course  some  types  of  soil  produce  a  better 
quality  and  flavor  than  others,  just  as  some  soils  in  the  North  produce  a  better 
quality  of  Irish  potato  than  others  do.  The  acreage  planted  to  sweet  potatoes  in 
1918  was  89,000,  with  an  average  yield  of  95  bushels  per  acre.  The  total  yield  was 
8,455,000  bushels,  with  a  total  value  of  $8,793,000,  which  brings  the  sweet  potato 
into  third  place  in  value  among  the  State's  crops.  Increased  production  is  bound 
to  follow,  as  the  Mississippi-grown  sweet  potato,  especially  the  Nancy  Hall 
variety,  is  coming  more  and  more  in  favor  on  the  Northern  markets,  and  it  is  only 
a  question  of  time  when  it  will  supersede  the  Jersey  sweet.  There  are  already  150 
dry  kilns,  or  curing-houses  in  the  State,  built  by  Government  plans,  and  500  more 
will  be  built  during  the  current  year.  More  than  20  factories  are  in  successful 
operation,  and  where  local  factories  cannot  use  local  supplies,  they  are  marketed 
according  to  the  co-operative  system,  which  has  proved  immensely  valuable  in 
the  sale  of  all  farm  products  in  the  State.  The  sweet  potato  is  already  the  largest 
cash  crop  in  South  Mississippi  and  the  piney  woods  sections  are  finding  it  a  very 
valuable  agricultural  product. 


For  a  comprehensive  treatise  on  Mississippi  soils, 
write  to  the  Mississippi  Agricultural  Experiment  Sta- 
tion, Agricultural  College,  Mississippi,  for  Technical 
Bulletin  No.  7. 


26 


CORN 

Mississippi  is  rapidly  forging  ahead  and  is  destined,  in  our  judgment,  to 
become  one  of  the  leading  corn-growing  states  in  the  Union,  and  is  practically 
growing  sufficient  of  this  staple  to  supply  its  own  needs. 

This  condition  has  been  brought  about  by  many  agencies,  among  the  most 
important  of  which  are  the  following:  The  insistent  and  systematic  effort  of  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  through  demonstration  work,  to  have 
the  farmers  of  the  South  grow  their  own  feed  crops;  the  continued  efforts  of  the 
Mississippi  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  with  its  Experiment  Stations 
and  Extension  Department;  the  advent  of  the  boll  weevil;  the  efforts  of  the 
leading  business  and  professional  men  of  the  State;  the  teaching  forces;  the 
leading  farmers;  Development  Bureaus  of  some  of  the  more  progressive  cities; 
the  railroads  and  other  corporations;  the  State  Department  of  Agriculture;  and 
last,  but  not  least,  the  Boys'  Corn  Club. 


Corn  as  It  Grows  in  Mississippi 
27 


Yield 

Going  back  to  1909,  the  date  of  the  organization  of  the  Boys'  Corn  Club  and 
other  demonstration  work,  the  average  yield  of  corn  was  \4)/i  bushels  to  the  acre, 
with  a  total  yield  for  the  State  of  28,429,000  bushels,  which  was  increased  in  1917 
to  the  record  crop  of  83,300,000  bushels. 

The  above  indicates  a  rather  remarkable  increase  over  1909.  However,  there 
is  great  opportunity  for  increasing  the  acre  yield  and  the  acreage  planted  to  this 
crop.  While  the  average  of  the  Corn  Club  boys  in  1918  was  46.3  bushels  to  the 
acre,  perhaps  the  average  for  the  State  will  never  reach  such  a  high  level,  but 
certainly  the  demonstration  made  by  these  boys  indicates  the  possibilities.  The 
rainfall  and  distribution  in  the  State  is  of  such  nature  that  a  total  failure  in  corn 
production  is  impossible. 


Records  Made  by  Boys 

The  Corn  Club  boys  of  the  State  hold  many  200  bushel  per  acre  records. 
Among  those  holding  such  records,  the  authenticity  of  which  is  so  well  established 
that  it  has  never  been  questioned,  are  Carlos  Reddoch,  with  a  yield  of  206.6 
bushels,  and  Carl  Graves,  with  a  yield  of  202  bushels.  And  so  far  as  we  have  been 
able  to  determine,  Prof.  J.  W.  Fox,  manager  for  one  of  the  largest  plantations 
in  the  Delta,  holds  the  world's  record  production  on  a  large  acreage.  On  a  solid 
block  of  200  acres  he  -  produced  an  average  of  100  bushels  per  acre,  one 
measured  acre  producing  136  bushels. 


Corn,  Superior  Quality 

In  point  "of  .quality,  Mississippi  corn  is  unsurpassed.  In  1917  it  ranked  first 
and  much  was  exported  to  Canada  and  elsewhere  to  be  milled  into  corn  flour. 
In  1918,  with  ada/erse  weather  conditions,  the  quality  was  superior  and  Missis- 
sippi corn  commanded  a  premium.  This  superior  quality  is  due  largely  to  three 
reasons:  First,  mongrel  strains  have  been  supplanted  by  pure  varieties;  Second, 
pure  strains  of  the  white  prolific  varieties,  so  well  suited  to  this  section,  are 
being  generally  grown  .and  offered  to  the  markets;  Third,  one  of  the  most 
important  factors  is  the  long  growing  season  followed  by  a  long  dry  period  after 
the  time  of  ripening.  The  term  "frost-dried"  corn  is  not  known  to  the  Mississippi 
corn  grower,  as  corn  brought  direct  from  the  field  will  in  many  instances  test  as 
low  as  12,  14  and  15  per  cent  moisture. 

Possibilities  in  Corn  Culture 

By  .means  of  :the  most  scientific  methods  of  corn  culture,  the  forces  of  the 
Extension  Department  hope  to  raise  the  present  high  quality  of  corn  now 
grown  within  the  State.  This  will  be  done  by  organizing  the  Corn  Improve- 
ment Association  and  by  advocating  the  planting  of  only  four  or  five  of  the  out- 
standing, varieties. 

The  counties  of  the  State  are  divided  into  five  districts,  and  an  effort  will  be 
made  .tp,  secure  ^t,  least  one  member  for  each  district  of  the  82  counties  who  will 
agree  to  grow  five  acres  of  corn  under  the  supervision  of  the.County  Agent,  and 
who  will  further  agree  to  field  select  seed  according  to  the  most  approved  plan. 
At  the  present  time  there  is  a  fair  supply  of  good  seed.  Under  the  above-suggested 
plan*'the  agencies  having  the  matter  in  charge  hope  in  due  time  there  will  be 
available  to  Qvery  farmer  in  Mississippi  an  abundance  of  the  very  choicest  seed ; 
corn.  •  ■  ■  •-  - 

28 


LIVE  STOCK 

Good  land,  good  live  stock  and  good  people  are  closely  allied,  if  not  absolutely 
essential,  to  permanent  agricultural  prosperity.  No  better  soil  or  live  stock  or 
people  can  be  found  anywhere  in  \he  world  than  in  Mississippi.  Farming  absorbs 
the  thought  of  over  85  per  cent  of  its  people,  who  obtain  their  livelihood  directly 
from  the  soil.  The  problems  of  soil  maintenance  and  improvement  are  vital  not 
alone  to  this  85  to  87  per  cent,  but  to  the  entire  population,  which  is  dependent 
directly  or  indirectly  upon  agricultural  production. 

Ranking  among  the  great  cotton  states,  Mississippi  is  fast  coming  to  the  front 
in  the  production  of  live  stock,  and  instead  of  this  industry  supplanting  cotton  as 
a  money  crop,  it  is  rapidly  adding  one  more  great  source  of  revenue  to  the  farmers 
of  the  State.  From  January,  1914,  to  January,  1918,  there  was  an  increase  in  the 
number  of  hogs  in  the  State  from  1,467,000  to  1,902,000,  or  29  per  cent.  During 
this  same  period  there  was  an  increase  in  the  number  of  cattle  from  911,000  to 
1,152,000,  or  26  percent.  In  1915  the  number  of  hogs  shipped  to  one  of  the  central 
markets  from  this  State  was  7,242,  while  in  1917  it  was  88,732.  On  January  1, 
1918,  there  were  1,902,000,  and  on  January  1,  1919,  2,289,835  head  of  hogs,  with 
a  total  valuation  of  $35,075,688,  as  compared  with  $28,530,000  for  January  1. 
1918.  The  improvement  in  quality  has  been  in  keeping  with  the  increase  in 
numbers.  During  the  past  year  Mississippi-fed  steers  have  broken  records  for  all 
sections  and  all  times  on  the  St.  Louis  market. 

The  tendency  to  produce  all  cotton  is  being  discouraged  and  diversification  is 
rapidly  taking  the  place  of  the  old  one-crop  system.  The  crops  thus  produced  can 
be  most  advantageously  marketed  by  means  of  live  stock.  By  this  method  the 
farmer  has  learned  he  can  retain  from  70  to  75  per  cent  of  the  plant  food  in  the 
crops  grown  instead  of  marketing  them. 

Among  the  most  important  feed  crops  that  can  be  produced  may  be  mentioned 
alfalfa,  corn,  oats,  Lespedeza,  grass  hays,  velvet  beans,  cow  peas,  soy  beans, 
peanuts,  sweet  potatoes,  rye,  rape,  red  and  crimson  clovers.  The  velvet  bean  is 
the  most  important  feed  crop  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  In  the  Prairie 
Belt,  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  alfalfa  is  grown  without  liming  the  soil  and  is 
closely  allied  with  the  live-stock  industry  in  that  section;  Lespedeza  and  alfalfa 
are  especially  valuable  in  the  feeding  of  young  cattle,  and  to  successfully  carry 
on  dairying  and  live  stock.  Another  important  factor  is  cottonseed  meal,  which 
is  available  in  all  parts  of  the  State. 


Short  Winters  and  Plentiful  Pasturage  Make  an  Ideal  Live-Stock  Country 

29 


Mississippi  Is  Fast  Coming  to  the  Front  in  the  Production  of  Live  Stock 

To  embark  in  the  live-stock  industry  successfully,  there  must  at  all  times  be 
an  abundance  of  good  pastures  well  sodded  with  nutritious  grasses.  The  most 
important  pasture  crops  in  the  north  part  of  the  State  are  Bermuda,  Lespedeza, 
Paspalum,  bur  and  white  clover.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  State  carpet  grass 
should  be  added  as  a  valuable  addition  to  the  group  mentioned  above.  When 
well  set  with  a  mixture  of  these  grasses,  a  pasture  will  frequently  carry  in  excess 
of  one  cow  per  acre.  Pastures  north,  south,  east  or  west  can  be  greatly  im- 
proved, depending  upon  the  ability  of  the  farmer. 

Silos 

While  a  combination  of  the  grasses  above  named  will  furnish  grazing  over  a 
long  season,  there  are  from  two  to  three  months  each  year  during  which  all  live 
stock  should  be  supplied  with  feed  other  than  that  which  may  be  obtained  in  the 
open  field.  There  is  no  section  in  the  State  where  the  feed  necessary  for  this 
purpose  cannot  be  grown.  Silos  provide  the  most  economical  and  efficient  means 
for  storing  succulent  feed.  Silage,  together  with  a  small  amount  of  either  cotton- 
seed meal  or  velvet  beans,  will  carry  stock  in  good  condition  through  the  roughest 
weather. 


Up-to-date  Silos  in  Mississippi 
30 


Herd  of  Pure-Bred  Herefords 

Improved  Live  Stock 

During  the  last  few  years  improved  blood  has  been  introduced  into  the  State 
on  a  very  large  scale.  Where  the  "scrub  bull"  was  once  monarch  of  all  he  surveyed, 
the  pure-bred  Shorthorn,  Aberdeen  Angus,  Hereford,  Holstein  and  Jersey  may 
now  be  found  of  the  very  best  breeding  and  blood  lines.  State-wide  tick  eradi- 
cation has  made  possible  the  bringing  of  breeding  stock  from  Northern  and  West- 
ern states  with  the  same  assurance  of  safety  that  may  be  felt  in  shipping  to  any 
part  of  the  United  States.  The  winnings  of  Mississippi  animals  at  the  Royal  and 
International  Shows  indicate  the  class  of  stock  which  is  being  bred  in  the  State. 
Sales  of  pure-bred  stock,  hogs  and  beef  cattle  recently  held  within  the  State  have 
broken  world's  records  for  prices,  and  the  very  best  animals  in  these  sales  were 
purchased  by  progressive  farmers  in  Mississippi.    At  the  leading  pure-bred  sales 


3d  Hereford  Bull  on  a  Mississippi  Stock  Farm 
31 


of  the  country,  Mississippi  breeders  have  been  buying  the  best  bred  and  best 
individual  animals,  bringing  them  into  this  great  Commonwealth  in  order  that 
their  own  herds  and  flocks  may  be  bred  up  to  the  point  where  it  may  be  said, 
"Of  all  that  is  good,  Mississippi  has  the  best."  The  demand  for  pure-bred  sires 
for  use  on  native  and  grade  stock  is  already  being  met  by  breeders  within  the 
State.  "Kill  the  scrub  sire"  is  the  slogan  for  animal  husbandry  improvement 
within  the  State  and  together  with  the  tick  and  razorback  hog,  the  scrub  bull  is 
fast  becoming  a  memory  of  less  efficient  times.  The  beef  cattle  industry  has  been 
steadily  increasing  both  in  numbers  and  quality.  On  January  1,  1918,  there  were 
644,000  L.eef  cattle  in  the  State,  valued  at  $14,103,000,  while  on  January  1,  1919, 
there  were  695,000  head  valued  at  $15,985,000. 

Important  Facts 

The  following  are  some  of  the  pungent  facts  in  connection  with  the  live-stock 
industry  in  the  State.  Because  of  the  mild  climate,  abundant  rainfall,  cheap 
lands  and  large  varieties  of  native  grasses,  Mississippi  is  certain  to  play  a  large 
part  in  the  future  production  of  meat  animals.  More  of  the  work  stock  used  can 
and  should  be  produced  within  the  State  and  would  save  millions  of  dollars  to  the 
farmers.  Pork  can  be  produced  more  economically  than  in  those  sections  where 
the  long,  cold  winters  prevail,  and  can  be  placed  on  the  markets  at  a  season  of 
the  year  when  the  markets  are  not  glutted.  All  live  stock  is  readily  marketed 
either  direct  or  through  Farmers'  Co-operative  Shipping  Clubs,  which  are  handled 
by  the  County  Agent  or  County  Farm  Adviser. 

Packing  plants  are  located  at  Natchez,  Miss.,  New  Orleans,  La.,  Mobile,  Ala., 
and  other  points,  furnishing  short  freight  hauls  and  near-by  markets  for  live  stock. 


Cattle  That  Have  Ranged  Without  Shelter  During  an  Entire  Mississippi  Winter 

32 


Enter  the  Dairy  Cow — Exit  Want  and  Poverty 

DAIRYING 

History  repeats  itself.  Enter  the  dairy  eow,  exit  want  and  poverty.  Into 
whatever  community  or  state  the  dairy  cow  enters,  affluence  follows  in  her  wake. 
When  the  chinch  bug  had  devastated  the  wheat  fields  of  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  and 
the  fertility  of  the  soils  had  been  depleted  to  the  point  where  they  were  unprofi- 
tably  productive,  the  farmers  of  those  states  turned  to  the  dairy  cow  as  their  only 
hope  and  salvation,  and  today  these  two  states  rank  first  and  third  in  the  output 
of  dairy  products.  In  communities  where  the  dairy  industry  is  highly  developed, 
prosperity  is  unexcelled. 

The  same  conditions  prevailed  in  Mississippi,  especially  in  the  uplands  and 
the  Brown  Loam  section,  where  the  lands  had  been  cropped  for  over  40  years  in 
cotton  and  the  soil  had  been  robbed  of  its  fertility.  With  a  soil  depleted  of  fertility 
and  the  advent  of  the  boll  weevil,  the  agricultural  situation  became  alarming,  and 
it  was  evident  that  something  must  be  done  to  rehabilitate  the  farm.  It  was  about 
1912  that  "bossy"  entered  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  agricultural  fabric  in  the 
reconstruction  of  Mississippi  farming.  With  the  modest  beginning  of  one  creamery 
in  1912,  the  entire  output  of  which  was  17,000  pounds  of  butter  for  that  year,  the 
industry  has  developed  to  22  creameries,  with  an  output  of  3,062,000  pounds  of 
butter  in  1918,  and  for  which  the  farmers  were  paid  $1,270,339.  Adding  to  this 
the  value  of  the  calves  and  other  by-products,  including  fertilizer,  the  increased 
wealth  of  the  State  from  the  dairy  cow  will  exceed  $15,000,000  annually. 

The  following  table  shows  the  steady  growth  of  this  industry: 

Pounds  Number  of 

Year  Butter  Creameries 


1912 

17,000 

1 

1913 

184,027 

2 

1914 

335,851 

7 

1915 

580,074 

10 

1916 

1,560,000 

16 

1917 

2,727,767 

20 

1918 

3,062,000 

22 

These  creameries  have  experienced  no  difficulties  in  finding  a  ready  market 
for  their  entire  output,  and  would  welcome  a  greater  production  of  raw  material 
for  their  use,  so  that  dairymen  need  not  hesitate  to  venture  in  this  highly  intensi- 
fied phase  of  farming.  These  local  creameries  furnish  a  stable  market,  paying  the 

same  price  for  bntter-fat  and  milk  as  prevail  in  the  dairy  sections  of  the  United 


33 


34 


States.  However,  milk  and  cream  can  be  produced  on  a  much  more  economical 
basis  than  in  the  colder  climates  where  the  winter  feeding  season  is  long,  covering 
a  period  of  nearly  six  months,  where  feeds  are  made  on  high-priced  land,  and  where 
expensive  barns  and  barn  equipment  are  the  limiting  factors  in  the  more  profitable 
production  of  these  products. 

MISSISSIPPI  HOGS  BRING  RECORD-BREAKING  PRICES 

The  "razorback"  hog  in  Mississippi  is  ancient  history,  and  should  one  be 
seen  now,  it  would  be  considered  a  curiosity,  and  would  attract  as  much  attention 
as  the  pure-bred  when  first  introduced  into  the  State.  In  this  work  the  children, 
the  Boys'  and  Girls'  Pig  Clubs,  have  played  the  most  important  part  by  raising 
improved  breeds  of  hogs  and  thus  interesting  their  parents  in  breeding  up  their 
flocks.  To  show  what  great  strides  have  been  made  along  this  line,  we  quote  from 
the  Manufacturers'  Record,  under  the  above  caption: 

"Mississippi's  claims  to  first  place  in  the  South  as  a  hog-growing  State  took 
a  leap  upward  when  a  new  world's  record  for  average  price  per  hog  was  made  at 
Fernwood  recently  at  a  sale  attended  by  hog  breeders  from  all  over  the  United 
States. 

The  Enochs  Farms  began  breeding  fine  Duroc-Jerseys  only  ten  months  ago. 
On  January  16,  1919,  thirty  hogs  were  sold  there  for  a  total  of  $25,560,  an  average 
of  $672.57,  the  highest  average  price  on  record  prior  to  this  sale  being  $510. 

Nineteen  sows  brought  an  average  of  $907.40.  One  of  these  sows  sold  for 
$2,100,  to  make  her  home  on  another  Mississippi  stock  farm.  One  went  to  Neb- 
raska for  $2,075,  and  three  others  brought  as  much  as  $2,000  each. 

A  few  days  before  the  Enochs  sale  was  held,  45  head  of  Durocs  at  the  White 
Farms  brought  $16,000,  and  the  Pine  Crest  Farm  closed  a  sale  recently  that 
brought  almost  as  high  an  average  as  these  two,  with  many  individuals  bringing 
$2,000  or  better. 

At  the  Pine  Crest  sale  one  ten-months-old  boar  brought  $2,300,  a  record  price 
for  a  pig  of  this  age.  His  little  mate  brought  $500.  The  mother  of  this  high- 
priced  Duroc  was  bought  by  her  present  owner  less  than  a  year  ago,  and  he  has 
netted  $1,810  from  the  sale  of  her  pigs,  in  addition  to  retaining  possession  of  the 
sow  and  seven  pigs  of  her  latest  litter.  Counting  these,  his  investment  in  the  one 
sow  has  netted  him  about  $3,600  in  less  than  a  year. 

These  unusual  prices  clearly  show  that  the  South  is  raising  champion  hogs, 
and  that  instead  of  the  Southern  breeder  having  to  seek  the  Middle  Western 
owner,  the  situation  is  reversed.  Some  of  the  finest  Duroc  blood  on  earth  is  in 
Mississippi  herds,  and  breeders  from  the  great  hog-raising  Middle  West  are  using 
Mississippi  herd  leaders,  when  a  decade  ago,  a  pure-bred  Duroc  hog  was  a  curi- 
osity in  Mississippi. 

It  is  not  alone  from  the  sale  of  this  fancy  breeding  stock  that  the  State  is 
deriving  a  reputation  for  producing  hogs.  One  county  increased  its  hog  shipments 
from  $24,000  in  1915  to  $218,000  in  1918,  and  this  is  indicative  of  shipments  from 
the  State  to  the  great  markets,  especially  during  the  war  period. 

The  business  is  firmly  established  in  all  sections  of  the  State.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  the  Enochs  and  White  sales  took  place  in  South  Mississippi,  in  the 
great  cut-over  pine  section. 

"Pigs  Is  Pigs" 

"Pigs  is  pigs"  no  matter  where  they  art-  raised.  But  the  important  factor  to  be 
considered  is  the  cost  of  production.  And  in  this  respect  it  does  make  considerable 
difference  as  to  where  the  pig  is  raised.  Mississippi  has  a  long  growing  season  and 
a  climate  and  soil  that  enable  her  farmers  to  grow  a  variety  of  crops  suitable  and 
almost  indispensable  in  the  economic  production  of  pork.  The  various  clovers 
and  grasses  make  a  splendid  pasture,  including  Lespedeza  and  alfalfa;  peanuts, 
cow  peas,  soy  beans,  velvet  beans,  sweet  potatoes,  rape,  winter  rye  and  corn,  all 
of  which  grow  abundantly  and  make  it  possible  for  Mississippi  farmers  to  produce 
pork  and  other  meats  cheaper  than  in  sections  where  short  growing  seasons 
prevail. 

35 


RAINFALL  AND  CLIMATE 


As  given  by  the  United  States  Weather  ' 

Bureau,  the  normal  monthly  and 

annual  temperature  and  precipitation  in  the 

Mississippi  coast  country  are  as 

shown  by  the  following  tables: 

lVTr*ntli 

Temperature 

Precipitation 

1V1  (JI1L11 

Fahrenheit 

Inches 

January 

50.3 

6.14 

February 

53.1 

5.38 

March 

61.4 

5.49 

April 

67.2 

7.09 

May 

75.2 

2.05 

June 

83.1 

7.28 

July 

81.5 

6.48 

August 

81.1 

8.31 

September 

78.8 

4.54 

October 

69.1 

2.52 

November 

59.7 

2.98 

December 

51.8 

4.98 

63.22 


GOOD  ROADS 


Next  in  importance  to  good  schools,  good  churches  and  good  land  are  good 
roads.  They  are  not  a  luxury,  but  a  necessity,  in  the  making  of  better  homes  on 
the  farm.  They  form  the  connecting  link  between  the  rural  districts  and  the 
cities,  local  markets,  schools,  churches  and  the  great  industrial  centers.  Good 
roads  are  the  avenues  by  which  education  and  civilization  enter  the  remote  rural 
districts,  obliterating  illiteracy  by  lifting  the  barrier  that  has  so  long  robbed  the 
boys  and  girls,  men  and  women  of  religious,  educational  and  social  privileges  to 
which  they  were  entitled. 


One  of  the  Many  Good  Roads  in  Mississippi 
36 


Mississippi  has  made  wonderful  strides  in  the  past  few  years  in  the  construc- 
tion of  permanent  gravel  highways,  consisting  of  more  than  twenty-five  hundred 
miles,  and  fully  one  thousand  miles  more  will  be  built  during  the  year  1919.  Good 
roads  make  travel  a  pleasure  in  Mississippi.  They  make  for  progress  and  pros- 
perity. They  make  for  greater  food  production  and  greater  profits,  as  the  farmer 
will  be  in  a  position  to  market  his  crops  more  economically,  and  to  govern  his 
marketing  in  conformity  to  the  law  of  "supply  and  demand." 


Fine  Type  of  a  Mississippi  Agricultural  High  School 

EDUCATIONAL  FACILITIES 

The  educational  facilities  of  Mississippi  are  abreast  of  the  times  and  show 
constant  expansion  and  improvement.  With  a  great  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
College,  Federal  and  State  Experiment  Stations,  fifty  modern  Agricultural  High 
Schools,  Federal  Farm  Demonstration  Work  and  County  Demonstrators — 
covering  the  practical  field  of  life's  agricultural  and  industrial  equipment — well 
ordered  and  advanced  higher  educational  institutions,  and  a  fine  system  of  both 
city  graded  schools  and  consolidated  schools  throughout  the  counties  of  the 
State,  embracing  not  only  regular  class  work,  but  also  a  thorough  training  in 
business,  physical  culture,  domestic  science,  etc.,  those  moving  here  from  any 
section  of  the  United  States  may  feel  assured  in  advance  that  their  children  will 
have  access  to  as  fine  and  thorough  school  advantages  as  anywhere  in  the  world. 


Consolidated  School 
37 


MISSISSIPPI  HOME  DEMONSTRATION  WORK 

By 

Susie  V.  Powell,  Assistant  Director 

in  charge  of 

Home  Demonstration  Work 

The  purpose  of  Home  Demonstration  Work  is  to  make  for  better  living  con- 
ditions in  the  rural  homes  and  consequently  in  the  rural  communities;  to  afford 
farm  women  and  girls  opportunity,  without  leaving  their  homes,  to  make  the 
money  they  need  to  improve  living  conditions,  including  shelter,  food,  clothing 
and  cultural  advantages. 

In  order  to  obtain  these  results,  it  is  necessary  to  have  organization  and 
definite  plans  of  work,  which  we  call  projects. 

The  work  began  in  February,  1911,  with  the  tomato  project.  The  counties 
were  organized  and  about  150  girls  were  enrolled.  Since  then,  as  funds  from 
Federal,  State  and  County  appropriations  have  become  available,  the  work  has 
increased  in  scope  to  include;  projects  in  canning,  poultry,  gardening,  bee-keeping, 
clothing  and  textiles,  dairy,  basketry  and  labor-saving  machinery  for  the  home. 
Projects  for  house  planning,  improvement  of  home  grounds  and  interior  decoration 
will  be  put  into  effect  soon. 

The  conservation  of  food,  clothing  and  woman  power  are  the  three  important 
features  of  the  work  embodied  in  the  above-named  projects.  The  increase  in 
territory  covered  is  proportionate.  About  70  counties  now  have  Home  Demon- 
stration Agents. 

To  make  for  economy  and  efficiency  in  the  work  of  the  County  Home  Demon- 
stration Agent,  and  to  develop  community  spirit,  the  women  and  girl  demon- 
strators are  organized  into  community  clubs.  These  clubs  co-operate  with  similar 
organizations  of  men  and  boys.  More  than  2,000  such  community  clubs  have  been 
organized  in  Mississippi,  with  a  membership  totaling  about  50,000. 

During  the  war  these  clubs,  under  the  direction  of  the  Home  Demonstration 
Agents,  were  invaluable  in  promoting  all  war  activities,  such  as  Liberty  Bonds, 
War  Savings  Stamps,  Red  Cross,  etc.  Thousands  of  women  and  girls  who  have 
never  had  a  savings  account,  invested  in  Liberty  Bonds  and  War  Savings  Stamps 
and  thus  learned  lessons  of  thrift. 

The  main  war  work  of  the  Home  Demonstration  Agents  was  increased  food 
production  through  gardens,  poultry,  dairy  and  bee-keeping;  conservation  of  food 


Annual  Returns  from  Poultry  in  Mississippi, |$1 0,000,000 
38 


First  Canning  Demonstration  of  the  Season 

by  canning,  drying  and  brining,  and  utilization  of  home-grown  products  to  save 
transportation  of  staple  foods,  such  as  wheat,  meat,  sugar  and  animal  fats.  A 
special  cottage  cheese  campaign  to  save  meat  resulted  in  the  making  of  343,131 
pounds  for  home  use  and  for  market  during  1918,  and  117,886  pounds  of  "4-H" 
Brand  butter  was  produced  for  market. 

Other  home-grown  products  which  were  stressed  were  fish,  peanuts,  poultry, 
peas,  beans  and  native  nuts.  Demonstrations  in  the  use  of  these  and  in  the  saving 
of  wheat,  meat,  fats  and  sugar,  were  given  to  more  than  300,000  people. 

Special  activities  of  the  Home  Demonstration  Work  resulted  in  the  stocking 
of  1,000  farm  fish  ponds;  a  "kill  the  rat"  campaign  resulted  in  more  than  200,000 
fatalities  to  these  pests. 

At  the  request  of  the  War  Department  and  the  Food  Administration,  the 
Home  Demonstration  Food  Specialists  gave  instruction  at  Camp  Shelby  to  the 
fifty  head  cooks  in  their  company  kitchens  in  the  economical  uses  of  staple  foods. 
As  a  result  of  this  instruction  the  Quartermaster  reports  a  saving  of  1,928,976 
pounds  of  wheat  flour,  428,775  pounds  of  sugar  and  171,758  pounds  of  animal 
fat,  besides  a  marked  improvement  in  the  quality  of  the  food  served  to  the  30,000 
soldiers  in  the  camp.  The  Home  Demonstration  Agents  also  gave  assistance  to 
the  bakers  in  working  out  recipes  calling  for  a  certain  percentage  of  reduction  in 
wheat  flour,  and  thus  prevented  them  from  being  closed  by  the  Food  Adminis- 
tration for  failure  to  comply  with  food  regulations.  When  the  ruling  was  made 
that  every  dealer  in  eggs  must  candle  them,  a  state-wide  call  was  sent  to  the  Home 
Demonstration  Agents  to  give  instructions  in  egg-candling  to  the  dealers,  as  they 
had  already  been  giving  it  to  the  producers. 

Because  of  the  war  claims,  the  orphanages  were  in  a  measure  being  over- 
looked, so  the  Home  Demonstration  Agents  collected  and  sent  20,000  quarts  of 
fruits  and  vegetables  from  the  canning  club  members  to  the  dependent  little  ones 
in  these  homes,  besides  quantities  of  other  food  produced  and  a  nice  sum  of 
money. 

During  the  epidemic  of  influenza  these  agents  have  been  unremitting  in  their 
co-operation  with  the  Department  of  Health  in  combating  the  plague.  Prac- 
tically every  County  Agent  used  her  demonstration  kitchen  to  prepare  food  to  be 
delivered  to  the  sick.  Several  put  themselves  and  their  cars  at  the  disposal  of  the 
doctors  and  nurses.  Many  of  them  nursed  the  sick,  until  they  were  them- 
selves taken  ill.  The  State  workers,  with  headquarters  at  A.  &  M.  College,  took 
charge  of  the  hospital  kitchens  at  the  College,  where  there  were  about  1,800 
drafted  men  and  S.  A.  T.  C.  boys.  Nearly  1,500  cases  of  influenza  occurred  and 
about  150  cases  of  pneumonia.  These  agents  assisted  to  prepare  the  food  for 
these  men,  the  doctors,  orderlies  and  nurses  and  many  visitors  who  came  to  see 
their  sick  ones.  They  cooked  meals  and  washed  dishes  for  twenty-two  days  and 
nights,  preparing  three  meals  each  day  and  a  midnight  supper  for  the  night  shift. 

39 


One  County  Agent  acted  under  the  county  physician  as  visiting  nurse  to  fourteen 
cotton  mill  families  who  were  suffering  from  "flu."  The  Home  Demonstration 
Agents  have  given  instructions  and  demonstrations  in  invalid  cookery  all  over 
the  State  and  thus  helped  to  combat  "flu"  with  right  food. 

Short  courses  for  instruction  in  home-making  activities  and  county  and  com- 
munity fairs  have  been  held  in  most  of  the  counties  and  have  been  of  inestimable 
value. 

About  150  demonstration  kitchens  have  been  established  by  the  Home 
Demonstration  Agents  to  give  instruction  to  their  club  members  and  the  public 
generally.  About  2,000,000  pounds  of  vegetables  were  raised  and  conserved  by 
the  canning  club  girls  and  1,399,590  cans  packed  by  the  women.  It  is  estimated 
that  nearly  3,000,000  cans  of  fruits  and  vegetables,  meat,  fish  and  game  were 
packed  by  those  attending  demonstrations,  but  who  were  not  enrolled. 

The  Home  Demonstration  Program  includes  social  and  recreational,  as  well 
as  educational  features.  This  cultural  aspect  of  the  work  is  recognized  by  the 
State  Department  of  Education.  The  State  Superintendent  has  issued  instruc- 
tions to  the  County  Superintendents  and  teachers  to  co-operate  in  every  way 
possible  with  the  Home  Demonstration  Agents,  especially  in  holding  and  organ- 
izing community  clubs,  and  in  keeping  the  business  records  of  their  work.  They 
are  advised  to  give  two  units  of  school  credit  for  four  years'  satisfactory  club  work. 
The  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  and  A.  &  M.  College  jointly  issued 
certificates  to  all  girls  completing  four  years  of  club  work.  More  than  200  of 
these  certificates  have  been  awarded.  The  largest  number  of  fourth-year  certi- 
ficates awarded  in  one  year  in  a  county  was  thirty-three,  given  to  canning  club 
girls  in  Lauderdale  County. 

The  primary  purpose  of  Home  Demonstration  Work  is  not  commercial  gain, 
but  in  1918  the  actual  reports  of  Home  Demonstration  Work  show  the  following 
figures: 

Canned  goods,  fruits,  vegetables,  meat,  fish  and  game $750,000.00 

Dairy  products,  butter  and  cottage  cheese 110,412.00 

Poultry  products 102,310. 00 

Saving  of  food  at  Camp  Shelby 181,765.00 

200,000  rats  killed 200,000.00 

A  total  of $1,344,487.00 

which  does  not  include  sundries. 

In  one  county  $256.00  worth  of  pine  needle  baskets  were  made  and  sold. 
Holly  and  other  native  greenery  was  sold  in  a  number  of  counties  to  the  value  of 
several  hundred  dollars.  More  than  a  thousand  fish  ponds  were  stocked.  Mere 
money  could  not  express  the  value  of  the  services  of  these  women  during  the 
epidemic  of  influenza,  their  influence  for  better  living  in  the  homes,  their  improved 
community  spirit  and  the  loyal,  patriotic  service  of  the  Home  Demonstration 
Agents  in  both  war  and  peace. 


Distributed  by  the 

CUT- OVER  LAND  DEPARTMENT 

of  the 

SOUTHERN  PINE  ASSOCIATION 


Subject  matter  and  illustrations  furnished  through  the  courtesy  of  the 
U.  S.  Railroad  Administration,  Agricultural  Section,  Division  of  Traffic 


40 


POOLE  BROS.   CHICAGO. 


iMPHIS  9 


10  II  12  13  14 


— 1 /  !f  \ 

County    Map   of  £-— 1    f^J^j, 

MISSISSIPPI 


EXPLANATION. 


K^n- 


